Contemplating Canada.... Oh what a country!

When I started the journey back in June, I remember sitting at the Mile zero mark and thinking I was about to embark on an adventure of epic proportions and perhaps I wasn't ready... fit... or perhaps I was just insane for thinking it.

I remember sitting at Mile 0 in Victoria and looking at a map and starting to cry - then remembered not to look at the big picture but take it one day at a time. Low and behold that is what I ended up doing... looking at each day as a short (albeit often 150km or more ride from location to location).

Canada is such a beautiful county - not that I have to let most of you know - but I feel I must say something more along those lines.

British Columbia has the magnificent mountains and glacier fed lakes...
Alberta continues in the same regard with the Rockies rising even higher than the coastal moutains and then flattening out after Calgary into wonderous prairies that literally go on for days and days.... and on a bicycle they go even longer than that.
Saskatchewan taught me a lot about patience... and that beauty is sometimes WAY off in the distance with the sky from horizon to horizon. It was in Saskatchewan that I fought mosquitoes and learned how to spray and ride.
Manitoba continues with prairies and then lakes start coming into play and boreal forests - where deer flies and horse flies can make a man go insane.
Ontario was in a phrase "Yours to discover" lots of hills and trees in the north and using the Bike Rally to get me to Montreal was just perfect... friends for life - literally.
Quebec with the wide St. Lawrence river and an amazing Route Verte.
New Brunswick was the start of my Atlantic tour... the province I visited twice - lots of moose (yet I saw none). Many trees and the spectacular St. John river.
Prince Edward Island... what can I say... Anne of Green Gables was right... it is a place of kindred spirits.
Nova Scotia continued with more friendly people, a large blueberry, an amazing Halifax harbour and then Cape Breton - Mike I understand why this place has your soul...
Newfoundland so comfy, relaxed and encouraging the people truly are wonderful - everyone says hello to everyone, and going to Signal Hill and Cape Spear (most easterly point in North America was awesome).

Oh... forgot to mention... I hit 9500km in St. John's... only 500km more and I will be at 10,000km for the year... it will happen.

BTW - I posted another update below... thanks for reading:)

Day 51 - Argentia to Conception Bay South - the Ma/Pa tour continues

Argentia to Conception Bay South - Kelligrews (visiting Mr/Mrs. King)
i know that I've said this before but I am truly blessed to be fortunate enough to say that I have cycled across Canada (and to be afforded not only the time but the money to do so). Woke up in the B & B - oddly enough everyone has to make their own breakfast... but then again it was super reasonable at $65.00 for the night. The morning began with a steep hill to climb and then more hills and rock everywhere.

Newfoundland is definitely named correctly as the ROCK! So many rocks and beautiful pristine lakes everywhere. It occurred to me today how fortunate I have also been to meet such a wonderful group of people supporting me - obviously my family tops the list, as does the people reading this blog but then there are those that I don't really know - the people in cars that toot their horns as they pass and give me the thumbs up... they don't know me - but I guess they have me figured out when they see all the gear I'm towing with me. Today this happened about 5 times (each time I smiled and thought... I'm going to make it)... never did I ever doubt that fact, but I guess it reassured me of that fact.

Great day... amazing fish and chips from By Da Beach Restaurant... and great company - Mr and Mrs. King are wonderful people - so kindhearted (once again this is no surprise). Thanks Jason for letting your parents know that I was coming through the area.

Distance Traveled today: 110.64km
Distance Traveled in Canada:
Distance Traveled this year:

Day 50 - Welcome to the ROCK! Port Hawkesbury to Sydney and beyond 143.44km

It's hard to believe that I have finally made it to Newfoundland (aka the Rock). It was a LONG day but definitely glad that I did it all in one day. Woke up in Port Hawkesbury and after asking a few people I decided to take highway 104 and then route 4 toward Sydney. The ladies at the information centre said I should take the Trans Canada because of the wide shoulder, however myself I prefer to take quieter roads.

It was fantastic - I was on the south shore of the Bras d'Or Lake and the road was quite impressive. Nova Scotia must've been working on this road for the past few years as it has LOTS of new smooth asphalt. Anyway, why am I telling you that information (cuz it is late and I'm tired).

I kept taking pictures enroute and decided to stop at Rita's Tea Room for an iced tea and a piece of coconut cream pie. Apparently Rita McNeil drops by the tea room twice a week and even more often when she isn't touring. Earlier that morning Michael Ignatieff (leader of the Liberal party) had apparently dropped by the tea room. Also, Anne Murray apparently was there visiting Rita McNeil the week before. My waitress was impressed by my efforts and told me that she is a cancer survivor and her husband is currently undergoing treatments for prostate cancer... anyway, I guess I made an impression as she gave me a hug before I left.

My journey continued from one rolling hill to the next... finally I arrived in Sydney. The plan was to call Gwen Harwood (a former colleague of McMaster University)... silly me I copied the wrong phone number down and then needed to find a place with internet access, in order to be able to call her. I went to the Days Inn and used my wireless connection and figured out where she lived. The ride to her apartment continued to be hilly - it was GREAT to see a familiar friendly face, as well as that of her husband Scott and their friend James. We ate an awesome dinner and then chatted before heading to the North Sydney ferry terminal.

The ferry crossing from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland was rather smooth - I had booked a recliner on Deck 7, it was perfect... foot rest and all - I definitely was able to sleep and relax and enjoy my trip. Woke up at around 5:30am and went outside to see the sunrise on the Atlantic. Breathtaking scenary... so peaceful... allowed me an opportunity to reflect on my journey. Still hard to believe that I have traveled the length of Canada... the second largest country in the world. Anyway, will still be thinking about my journey as I make it to Mile 0 on the Trans Canada in St. John's.

Distance traveled from Port Hawkesbury to Ferndale, Newfoundland: 143.44km
Distance traveled in Canada: 6206.05km
Distance traveled this year: 9304.8km

Day 49 - Antigonish to Cape Breton - 53.25km

A quick day to get to Cape Breton. Another BEAUTIFUL day on the road. I was a bit emotional crossing the Canso Straight... as it hit me... I'm almost at the other end of Canada. A bit of a relief but at the same time I suppose I am conflicted because I'm not sure what I will be doing next... likely something exciting.

Anyway, short blog post because I've been posting my last week. Enjoy the pics and read lots!

Distance traveled today: 53.25km
Distance traveled in Canada: 6062.61km
Distance traveled this year: 9161.30km

Halifax to Antigonish - In one Day! Day 48 - 97.98km

Most people who know geography of Nova Scotia would realize that cycling from Halifax to Antigonish in one day would be quite the effort, well over 250km... so before many of you are super impressed you'll be pleased to learn that I was given a ride from Halifax to Truro and then cycled from Truro to Antigonish. Initially the plan was to cycle along the Eastern shore of Nova Scotia to Sherbrooke and then up to Antigonish, but I had heard that the road was long and curvy with heaps of logging trucks - so when Paul Collins offered me a lift up to Truro (as he was visiting his mother this weekend) I immediately accepted. I suppose I'm also really wanting to be home and the sooner that I make it to Cape Breton Island, the sooner that I will be on my way to Newfoundland.

Highlights:
- seeing a sign on the highway by Stewiacke describing the town as the halfway point between the equator and the North pole... this made me remember a similar sign in NZ
- meeting Riley and Hugh (more friends of Paul Wollasten) -seeing their daughter having fun making mud pies etc...
- pics above are of Alex, Hugh and Riley with me and Coletrain (?)
- other pic is of me and Paul Collins
- eating a McLobster at McDonald's - who knew?
- Another FANTASTIC day!

Distance traveled today: 97.98km
Distance traveled in Canada: 6009.36km
Distance traveled this year: 9108.15km

Halifax, Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg

Okay... so I know I haven't really been blogging while I have stayed in peoples places... or mentioning my visits to museums etc... but I feel I just need to post some of my pics from Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg. As well I had some fun exploring the Alexander Keiths Brewery (on a theatrical tour), the Maritime Museum, MEC (of course), the downtown, the piers... and so much more.

Hitting 9000km for the year - Truro to Halifax (120.57km) - Day 47

Leaving Truro for Halifax was AWESOME - as Bob had decided to join me for a bit of the journey... picture it - me on my heavy laden bicycle and Bob on his carbon fibre frame....sigh... Best moment was when we decided we'd try to catch another cyclist... and well I hate to brag but we did hold our own and almost caught him - had we not had a slight incline (hill) that made my average plummet.

Today was also another landmark day in cycling for me this year as I completed 9000km. Arriving in Halifax on the very busy route 7 - I am honestly amazed that they allow bicycles on some of these roads in Nova Scotia.

Highlights:
- cycling across the MacDonald Bridge (breathtaking views of Halifax Harbour - sadly no pics were taken as it is quite a busy thoroughfare).
- meeting a former cyclist who was injured years ago and told he would never walk again... yet he is able to walk - he can't ride his bicycle any longer... but still small gains.
- meeting Paul Wollaston's friend Paul Collins my host for the next few days (3 nights)... another remarkable person - generous, kind and despite what he says - an excellent cook
- having a celebratory glass of red wine with Paul - to acknowledge the completion of 9000km of cycling this year in Canada and New Zealand
- in short an amazing day

Distance traveled today: 120.57km
Distance traveled in Canada: 5911.38km
Distance traveled this year: 9010.17km

Wyvern to Truro, Nova Scotia - Day 46 - 102.88km

Woke up by 8am to the smell of bacon being cooked... have I mentioned how much I LOVE bacon, eggs and toast before a good day of cycling. The sky was a bit grey to start but by the time I was ready to leave all was good... sun was poking through the clouds. Before leaving I had a bit of a tour of the Smith Family Homestead - the cabins, the river, and the blueberry fields. Grace Smith (Mike's mother) is a sweet woman, she even called the local paper - The Oxford Journal and they will likely do a story on me for next weeks edition.

At around 10:30am I started loading up T1 and started my journey to Truro... not a far day... about 104km and some interesting hills. Enroute I stopped for icecream at Masstown Market - the best icecream in the country (or maybe it was the sheer quantity and the value for the $3.00 that I spent). Continued onward into the unknown... all I had was an address and no clue as to where I was heading (my second warmshowers.org stay - Bob and Glenda - oh I wish I could remember their last name at this point).

Meeting Bob and Glenda - both avid cyclists - and fellow owners of Specialized Roubaix bicycles - no offence to my Cannondale T1 - but I do love my roadbike. Anyway, we ate, drank and talked bike touring. Bob and Glenda had just returned from touring France - so they had many pictures to share and stories to recount.

Distance traveled today: 102.88km
Distance traveled in Canada: 5790.81km
Distance traveled this year: 8889.60km

Amazing Grace Smith - Day 45 - 25.4km

Leaving Little River I didn't realize that I would be passing Mike Smiths sisters' home on route 204 and also that I was so close to the home of Grace Smith (Mikes' mom). Anyway, cycled down after finally leaving Wayne and Nikki - and arrived at her place just before 1pm. Sun was once again shining.... and they were working the blueberry fields - harvesting them with an interesting piece of machinery. I had no idea that there were differences between high blueberry bushes and low blueberry bushes. Anyway, good times - ate a late lunch after cleaning up and then headed to the Anne Murray Centre in Springhill Nova Scotia - a tribute to the legendary Snowbird herself. The museum was pretty interesting (apparently Ann was in town 2 weeks ago... that would've been a cool photo opp.)

Returned back from Anne Murray Centre, did a load of wash and then ate a scrumptious meal before heading to see the largest fields of blueberries that I could ever imagine.
Amazing blueberries and amazing Grace Smith... so glad that she was apart of my trip across Canada.

One other highlight was seeing a hummingbird at the feeder and taking pics.

Distance traveled today: 25.4km
Distance traveled in Canada: 5687.93km
Distance traveled this year: 8786.72km

PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia - 3 Provinces one day! 145.39km - Day 44

I suppose this is the only part of Canada where someone could potentially wake up and plan to see 3 provinces in one day on a bicycle... as the maritime provinces are much closer together than all the others.

I had a big breakfast in Charlottetown and then a small bite to eat at the Confederation bridge (Gateway Village) and then continued to Aulac, New Brunswick where I ate a HUGE piece of cake and a milkshake (thanks for the recommendation Dean - I hope all is well back at the University). Then I ate dinner in Little River Nova Scotia at the home of Wayne and Nikki Slade - my first warmshowers.org hosts.

Great day - even had a wee bit of rain as I was cycling down Route 204 into Nova Scotia. Beautiful scenery was accented by a rainbow. Wayne and Nikki were quite intrigued about my trip as they hope to one day (or in 5 years as Wayne would say) cycle across the country and elsewhere. A very cute couple. Thanks for making my first night in Nova Scotia so wonderful - also thanks for the vegan food.

Distance traveled today: 145.39km
Distance traveled in Canada: 5672.53km
Distance traveled this year: 8751.32km

Albegweit: The Soul of the Island (Day 42 & 43 of cycling and more)

Prince Edward Island Day 42, 43
A tale of two Anne's... Prince Edward Island the 8th province for me to visit was definitely a treat. The red dirt roads (and even some pavement) was quite impressive. I do remember seeing this when I was younger, but I suppose I'm impressed for different reasons - the beautiful gardens everywhere and healthy crops in the farm land.
The confederation bridge was also quite impressive - apparently this year they will close it to traffic for the Terry Fox Run - as it is the 30th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope. I am sure Terry would've been impressed of the bridge - as was I too see and learn that it is 15km in length and considered the longest bridge over frozen waters. Not sure where other LONG bridges like that one would be found.

Hmmm... after my initial welcome to PEI, I decided to cycle leisurely to Summerside where I stayed for two nights before heading off to Charlottetown (via Cavendish and Green Gables). Summerside was a sleepy town with a beautiful boardwalk and had the play "Anne and Gilbert" playing - a musical about Anne in her later years and the continued courtship of Gilbert Blythe. The woman playing the role of Anne did a remarkable job and looked like a china doll and sang like an angel... Gilbert was dashing and overall I must say I enjoyed the performance. After the show I met Yvette and Butch - two cyclists that have been cycle touring for the past 40 years (a new inspiration for me and anyone who says that they are too old/not fit enough etc... anyone can do anything if they try and TRAIN). We chatted and then they invited me for a coffee at Tim Horton's. I told them later that I truly needed this encounter as I was feeling a bit lonely on the island.

The weather continued to be remarkable as I cycled to Charlottetown, taking the long scenic route via Cavendish (even cycled through Hamilton PEI). Many rolling hills on the route made the journey a bit more challenging that I thought it would be... but nothing too unbearable. A few highlights disappointments - lunch at Pizza Delight - a pizza buffet (mental note, don't over eat when you are still having to cycle 50km to get to your destination). Seeing an amusement park in Cavendish. Seeing the Cavendish potato company. Seeing the side of Green Gables (disappointment as well - they charge $10.70 per person to go inside - OMG it's a fictious character). Arriving in Charlottetown and staying at the beautiful University of Prince Edward Island.

After my first night in residence I chose to wake up and find Cora's Restaurant for a BIG breakfast - then I lucked out as the Young Company of the Charlottetown Festival were putting on a performance of Albegweit: The Soul of the Island. A musical history of PEI and the confederation of Canada essentially. An amazing musical which made me very proud once again for being Canadian. One of the songs was "Canada is...." or something like that and started with the lyrics... Canada is the Rocky Mountains, Canada is the Yukon Valley, Canada is Prince Edward Island... made me start wondering what other people/ you my friends feel that Canada is? Let me know I'd love to hear what you think.

After the free concert I bought a ticket to go and watch the Charlottetown Festival performance of Anne of Green Gables the Musical - the first musical mom and dad ever took me too as I was growing up. With loveable songs like "Icecream" and "Gee I'm glad there's no one else like me..." I was smiling the rest of the night.
Anyway, I had a great 5 days and nights on Prince Edward Island.

Distance traveled Day: 35km
Distance traveled Day 2: 94.68km
Distance traveled in Canada: 5517.14km
Distance to date this year: 8595.93km

Nathan of Green Gables - Day 41 - Moncton to Carleton Cove, PEI

With storms and bad weather in the forecast... I headed out of Moncton along highway 15. Luckily the wind was helping me a bit as it was at my back. But that changed after leaving Shediac... where I did manage to take a picture of the Worlds Largest Lobster.

About 35km from the Confederation Bridge I saw it in the distance - very impressive. Winds continued to be strong. I arrived at Cape Jourimain where I called the shuttle to take me across to PEI. While waiting I met an old man... who was impressed with my cycling across the country - made me chuckle when he gave me a dollar - but at the same time he didn't have to do anything of the sort. Very kind soul - wanted to shake my hand and have his wife meet me. I guess I was a bit of a celebrity.

Crossed the Confederation Bridge and the weather changed... still strong winds BUT the sun came out and the day became quite beautiful. Anyway, went to the Tourist Information, picked up the provincial map and started to explore the Gateway village. Took photos at the "Welcome to PEI" and also started to note all the Anne of Green Gables images everywhere - man she is huge - hence the reason I decided to dress up like her as well...

Anyway, good fun - had scallops and fries for dinner. Happy to be on this friendly island!
Anne-Claire I totally was thinking of you while I dressed up as Anne Shirley ... hope you have a good chuckle everyone. HUGS from the island province.

PLEASE NOTE THAT I JUST POSTED 3 new BLOGS each with some interesting pics. ENJOY!
Distance traveled today: 110.52km
Distance traveled in Canada: 5387.46km
Distance traveled this year: 8466.25km

The ROCKS! Hopewell Cape to Moncton - Day 40

Woke up at around 7am - took down my tent and then had breakfast with my friends from Connecticut. The blueberry pie was to die for... thanks again!

Short day to Moncton - only 53.89km - relatively easy ride, therefore I decided to spend more time at the Hopewell Rocks. I have vague recollections of going here as a child - my sister Jennifer filling all of her pockets with rocks - while walking on the ocean floor in a place that touts having the worlds largest tides. Pretty spectacular - but heaps of tourists - yes I realize I too am a tourist, but I suppose I was just a bit annoyed by having so many people in my space (especially considering I'm used to being alone for hours on end).

Lots of mud on the ocean floor - made me laugh when I saw a woman walk right into deep mud and almost fall - she was alright... I don't want to seem like a meanie. The other thing was watching people clean the mud off of their shoes, feet and legs. Too funny... everyone gathering around a washing station when other stations were available slightly further away from the path (thanks Frank for letting me know about that). At a Lobster sandwich (they were out of lobster rolls :( )

Arriving in Moncton I couldn't find a place to sleep at the C'mon Inn Hostel - so they suggested I head to Leah Jane's B & B.... very funny as Ron the owner was also full - but didn't want me to be without a place to sleep - so he arranged his office into a makeshift bedroom (charging me $35.00). Another amazing person.

Distance traveled today: 53.89km
Distance traveled in Canada: 5276.94km
Distance traveled this year: 8355.73km